Various fire retardant compositions are known in the art. Fire retardant compositions are critical in the construction of buildings and other structures where they are used to protect the integrity of the structure, safety systems, power systems and communication systems during a fire.
Many countries require building materials to pass fire safety standards and codes before use in buildings. The International Code Council (ICC) is a building safety and construction association that develops codes and standards used in the design and compliance process for constructing buildings in the United States. In 2012, the ICC upheld the National Fire Protection Association 285 (NFPA 285) test for exterior walls with combustible weather barriers. The ASTM E84-13a (E84-13) is another standard method for testing the surface burning characteristics of exposed surfaces, such as walls and ceilings in buildings. In the United States and elsewhere, building materials must comply with the NFPA 285, E84-13 and similar standards.
Precast concrete, glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) and metal are often used in exterior building panels. Precast concrete, GFRC and metal panels can be designed to pass the NFPA 285 and E84-13 tests. However, concrete panels drastically increase the weight of the structure and the required magnitude of structural support. Metal panels are susceptible to corrosion, are not easily molded to accommodate specific architectural designs and present other design limitations. There is a need in the art to reduce the weight of exterior building panels and the structural load without compromising the fire resistant and smoke suppressant properties of materials used in the construction of structures and buildings.
This specification is directed to improved moldable fire resistant composites and processes for making moldable fire resistant composites.